Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan won a re-election on May 28, extending his rule into a third decade. With more than 99 percent of ballot boxes opened, unofficial results from competing news agencies showed Erdogan with 52 percent of the vote, compared with 48 percent for his opponent, Kemal Kilicdaroglu. The head of Turkey’s electoral board confirmed the victory, saying that even after accounting for outstanding votes, the term belongs to Erdogan. The leader thanked the nation for entrusting him with the presidency for five more years. “The only winner today is Turkey,” he s
On the final day of his three-day visit to Australia, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the ties between India and Australia had entered ‘T20 mode’. Using ‘cricket diplomacy’ to explain the relationship between the two nations, PM Modi also extended a personal invitation to his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese to visit India during the cricket World Cup – scheduled from October 5 to November 19 – and take part in Diwali celebrations. “I am visiting Australia within two months of the visit of my friend, Prime Minister Albanese to India. This is our sixth meeting
During a meeting of Quad leaders in Tokyo, US President Biden and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese claimed that they are receiving many requests from citizens to attend events where Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be speaking. President Biden came up to PM Modi and said, “I should take your autograph,” adding, “You are causing me a real problem. Next month, we will have dinner for you in Washington. Everyone in the whole country wants to come. I have run out of tickets. You think I am kidding? Ask my team. I am getting phone calls from people I have never heard of before
On his visit to Japan for the G7 summit, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak clinched the Hiroshima Accord for greater UK-Japan economic, security and technology collaboration. The Hiroshima Accord signed on May 17 will cover agreements on defence, trade and investment, science and technology collaboration, and joint work on tackling global issues like climate change. The new UK-Japan global strategic partnership is also being seen as a counterbalance to Chinese dominance in the region. It includes a Semiconductors Partnership to pursue bold R&D cooperation and skills exchange to boost suppl
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 20 May said that India will be happy to host the Quad Summit in 2024. He said this in the presence of US President Joe Biden, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, and Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during this year's Quad Summit in Hiroshima, Japan. Prime Minister Modi also emphasised that the “Quad will continue to make efforts towards global good, the welfare of the people, prosperity, and peace.” At the summit, US President Joe Biden said that the Quad grouping has the potential to change the dynamics of the world. Japan Prime Minister F
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Brazilian President Lula da Silva engaged in bilateral discussions on May 21 during the G7 Summit in Hiroshima, Japan. In a tweet, the Indian premier said, “The talks with President Lula da Silva were productive and wide-ranging. India and Brazil will keep working together to deepen trade ties. We also discussed diversifying cooperation in sectors like agriculture, defence and more.” Prime Minister Modi, along with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, and other leaders, paid homage to the victims of Hiros
Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka bestowed Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Fiji's highest honour on the sidelines of the 3rd India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) Summit in Papua New Guinea on May 21. The Companion of the Order of Fiji is a significant honour to be received by only a handful of non-Fijians to date. It is awarded to people for their eminent achievement and merit of the highest degree in service to Fiji or to humanity at large. On behalf of Fijian President Ratu Wiliame M. Katonivere, PM Rabuka bestowed PM Narendra Modi with the honour. The Prime Minister of Ind
The world community should focus on building inclusive food systems that protect the most vulnerable, such as marginal farmers, to tackle the challenge of food security, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 20 at the G7 Summit in Hiroshima, Japan. Speaking in Hindi, PM Modi made the remarks while unveiling a 10-point call to action at an outreach session of the G7 Summit that focused on pressing global challenges such as food and health security, developmental issues and gender equality. India was among the eight guest countries participating in three outreach sessions of the summit ho
At least 40 countries have signed the Register of Damage, an instrument approved by the 46-nation Council of Europe to document the damage in Ukraine so that Russia can be held liable for compensation. The instrument, signed on May 17 at the Council of Europe Summit in Reykjavik, Iceland, set up an evidentiary record ahead of possible future prosecution of Russian leaders. The document is a “necessary” step ensuring “justice that is centred on the victims” of the war, said Marija Pejčinović Burić, the council’s head. European leaders hailed the new instrument for Ukraine th
A US court has given its consent to the Indian request for the extradition of Pakistani-origin Canadian businessman Tahawwur Rana for his involvement in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack. On June 10, 2020, India filed a complaint seeking the provisional arrest of 62-year-old Rana with a view towards extradition. Rana was arrested in the US for his role in these attacks. The Biden Administration had supported and approved the extradition of Rana to India. “The Court has reviewed and considered all of the documents submitted in support of and in opposition to the Request, and has considered